Making Choices About Hydrogen

Since the mid-1990s, the emergence of a hydrogen economy and the speed with which it will arrive have been vigorously debated. As a disruptive technology, dominant designs for the production, storage and distribution of hydrogen have not yet been established. Neither have performance characteristics been achieved to compete with the existing combustion engine, though the efficiency and durability of hydrogen fuel cells are improving. This publication highlights the uncertainties involved in making choices about hydrogen and fuel cells in planning the development policies on national energy, environment and transport sector.--Publisher's description.

In recent decades, there has been a massive growth towards the prime interest of the hydrogen energy industry in automobile transportation fuel. Hydrogen is the most plentiful component and a perfect carrier of energy. Generally, evaluating a suitable hydrogen power plant site is a complex selection of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem concerning proper location assessment based on numerous essential criteria, the decision-makers expert opinion, and other qualitative/quantitative aspects.

Lately it has become a matter of conventional wisdom that hydrogen will solve many of our energy and environmental problems. Nearly everyone -- environmentalists, mainstream media commentators, industry analysts, General Motors, and even President Bush -- seems to expect emission-free hydrogen fuel cells to ride to the rescue in a matter of years, or at most a decade or two. Not so fast, says Joseph Romm. In The Hype about Hydrogen, he explains why hydrogen isn't the quick technological fix it's cracked up to be, and why cheering for fuel cells to sweep the market is not a viable strategy for combating climate change. Buildings and factories powered by fuel cells may indeed become common after 2010, Joseph Romm argues, but when it comes to transportation, the biggest source of greenhouse-gas emissions, hydrogen is unlikely to have a significant impact before 2050. The Hype about Hydrogen offers a hype-free explanation of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, takes a hard look at the practical difficulties of transitioning to a hydrogen economy, and reveals why, given increasingly strong evidence of the gravity of climate change, neither government policy nor business investment should be based on the belief that hydrogen cars will have meaningful commercial success in the near or medium term. Romm, who helped run the federal government's program on hydrogen and fuel cells during the Clinton administration, provides a provocative primer on the politics, business, and technology of hydrogen and climate protection.

Advances in Hydrogen Production, Storage and Distribution reviews recent developments in this key component of the emerging "hydrogen economy," an energy infrastructure based on hydrogen. Since hydrogen can be produced without using fossil fuels, a move to such an economy has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy security. However, such a move also requires the advanced production, storage and usage techniques discussed in this book. Part one introduces the fundamentals of hydrogen production, storage, and distribution, including an overview of the development of the necessary infrastructure, an analysis of the potential environmental benefits, and a review of some important hydrogen production technologies in conventional, bio-based, and nuclear power plants. Part two focuses on hydrogen production from renewable resources, and includes chapters outlining the production of hydrogen through water electrolysis, photocatalysis, and bioengineered algae. Finally, part three covers hydrogen production using inorganic membrane reactors, the storage of hydrogen, fuel cell technology, and the potential of hydrogen as a fuel for transportation. Advances in Hydrogen Production, Storage and Distribution provides a detailed overview of the components and challenges of a hydrogen economy. This book is an invaluable resource for research and development professionals in the energy industry, as well as academics with an interest in this important subject. Reviews developments and research in this dynamic area Discusses the challenges of creating an infrastructure to store and distribute hydrogen Reviews the production of hydrogen using electrolysis and photo-catalytic methods

Compendium of Hydrogen Energy, Volume 2: Hydrogen Storage, Distribution and Infrastructure focuses on the storage and transmission of hydrogen. As many experts believe the hydrogen economy will, at some point, replace the fossil fuel economy as the primary source of the world’s energy, this book details hydrogen storage in pure form, including chapters on hydrogen liquefaction, slush production, as well as underground and pipeline storage. Other sections in the book explore physical and chemical storage, including environmentally sustainable methods of hydrogen production from water, with final chapters dedicated to hydrogen distribution and infrastructure. Covers a wide array of methods for storing hydrogen, detailing hydrogen transport and the infrastructure required for transition to the hydrogen economy Written by leading academics in the fields of sustainable energy and experts from the world of industry Part of a very comprehensive compendium which looks at the entirety of the hydrogen energy economy

This book focuses on the fundamental principles and latest research findings in hydrogen energy fields including: hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, fuel cells, hydrogen safety, economics, and the impact on society. Further, the book introduces the latest development trends in practical applications, especially in commercial household fuel cells and commercial fuel cell vehicles in Japan. This book not only helps readers to further their basic knowledge, but also presents the state of the art of hydrogen-energy-related research and development. This work serves as an excellent reference for beginners such as graduate students, as well as a handbook and systematic summary of entire hydrogen-energy systems for scientists and engineers.

As the case for Climate Change mitigation becomes ever more pressing, hydrogen has the potential to play a major role in a low-carbon energy future. Hydrogen can drive the vehicles of tomorrow and also heat homes and supply energy to businesses. Much recent discussion in energy policy circles has considered ways in which greatly expanded electrification can meet the demand for low-carbon mobility and heating. Such narratives centre on the widespread use of renewable energy sources with occasionally surplus renewable electricity being used to produce hydrogen, for example by electrolysis. While such developments have a beneficial role to play, this book focuses on an alternative paradigm. This book considers a more evolutionary path involving the continued extraction and use of fossil fuels, most notably natural gas, but in ways that greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this way much established industrial capacity and know how might be transitioned to help deliver the low carbon future that the world so desperately requires. Presenting up-to-date energy policy recommendations with a focus on hydrogen from fossil fuels, the book will be of considerable interest to policymakers and energy researchers in academia, industry and government labs, while also offering a valuable reference guide for business developers in low-carbon energy, and for oil and gas industry analysts.

Hydrogen may someday fuel our cars and power and heat our homes and businesses and revolutionize the way we use energy. Moving to a hydrogen economy could help reduce our reliance on foreign oil, improve local air quality, and reduce the risk of climate change. Despite the potential of hydrogen, there is no guarantee that the hydrogen economy will happen as the obstacles are considerable and the competing visions are many. Pathways to a Hydrogen Future seeks to untangle the competing visions of a hydrogen economy, explain the trade-offs and obstacles and offer recommendations for a path forward. The results are based on a detailed simulation model developed at Sandia National Laboratories: "The Hydrogen Futures Simulation Model (H2Sim)". The H2Sim is a high-level strategic tool for evaluating the economic and environmental trade-offs of alternative hydrogen production, storage, transport, and end use options in the year 2020. An executive version of H2Sim is included with the book allowing readers to explore the various scenarios discussed. H2Sim’s ease of use and its ability to provide answers to these types of questions make it a powerful educational and policy making tool. The model's structure is ideal for exploring "what-if" questions, such as: Can fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) compete economically with current cars if the FCVs are 2.5 times as efficient? Should the hydrogen be produced at fueling stations or at central locations and transported to fueling stations? * Includes an executive version of H2Sim allowing readers to explore the various scenarios discussed * H2Sim's ease of use and ability to provide answers makes it a powerful educational and policy making tool * The model's structure is ideal for exploring "what-if" questions, such as: Can fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) compete economically with current cars if the FCVs are 2.5 times as efficient? Should the hydrogen be produced at fueling stations or at central locations and transported to fueling stations?